Can opener



p 9, 1 w. D. HUSTED 2,609,601

CAN OPENER Filed July 1'7, 1950 2 Sl-IEETS-Sl-IEET l 55 f I INVENTOR. w 5 %,D.HZ(Q5Z'&Z

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P 9, 1952 w. D. HUSTED 2,609,601

. CAN OPENER Filed July 17, 1950 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 I N VEN TOR.

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Patented Sept. 9, 1952 1 UNITED- STATES: exrsnr or-riosi: V 2309 1 V CAN-OPENER.

William-*DTHiisted, Sliavertownfla': s umiqnduiynrg.1950, SerialiNo: 174',325-i= sprains;

This invention relates'to openers for cansgan'd similar containers.

object of n n' s 'd provide an opener'of the container top, puncturing type for cutting a hole in the top of "a metal can;,the device being so construeted'thatthesize of the hole may be regulated,yso that if'desired'ajrelatively largepouringhole may be formedin the top, and."'

a second relatively small ventlh'ole may be separately formedin'thje can oppositefrom the pouring; hole.

It is another object of this invention to provide a. can opener of rthe'con'tainer. top. puncturing type having. an adjustable pivot'membersothatalso disposed on the opener for removing licls from glass jars ;or the like.

A further ob'ject'of thisinvention is to provide an opener of this kind which' isLeasi1y and quickly.

adaptable for use'on either! large or small con I tainers, such as large size juicecans, beer cans,..

andalso the various sizes of'milk cans.-

A further object of this invention isto provide a canlopen'er of this'kindfwhichis'o'f simple construction' so" as to be" made of metal" stampings' with a minimum of operations;

With the above'an'd otherobjeots view;'my"

invention consists in the arrangement, ,comhinaje tion and ,details'of"construction" disclosed" in the drawings andspecification; and then more par- 7 ticularlypointedout in 'thef'appende'd' claims. fl Referring nowtothedrawingsr Figure 1" is aside elevation'al' vi'ew' 'showingfrnji inventionapplied'in p'osition'againstthe rim'of fa can; or the like container; for"'piercing' and cut% a tinga top wall of the container;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of theideviee shown in Figure 1, the handle portion indicated asibroken to show that theilength'ofthehandle is variable," Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail'top plan view ofthe puncturing and cutting; end ofthet devicev shownin'Figure l; V 4

Figure 4'--is a'sectionon thef lin'e"44fof1Fig= Figure--5 isja side-elev'ati onal vieWofja mQdi I Figures is a top plan view iofthe- -puncturing' 1 and-cutting end of the device s'hbwninFrgure 53' l Figure -7 isa section takenon the line 1 of Figure 6 Fig-ure 8 is a plan View ofthebIankifOrm from formed? Figure 9115' a secondmodifieation ,of 'the ,dvice.--.. shown'in Figure 1;) I

Figure 10'is asectional'view takenon theilinezr Hl -l 0 of Figure 9,. a Figure 11 is aplanzview'of aportion-of-anelement of the device'shown in" Figure.9,.

Figure 12 is. ar-pla'n'view. of the blank from which an element ofthedevicenshown in Figure-Q 9 is formed;

Figure 13 is a third modification ofthe device; shown in Figure 1 shown inaside. elevation'a'lll v1ew,.

Figure 14 is top plan view Oran-element offthemodification shown in Figure 13,,

Figure'15 is a side elevation partly insection:v

showingthe operation of the deviceillu'stratedlin.

Figure 1 as jar lid lifting means;

Figure 16"is a sectional'view takenion theiline.v lS-l'Fof'Figure 2; 1

Referring .to Figures .112, Sand. 4ofthe draw= 'ings, Ijhave disclosed a preferred embodiment of:

means a is 1 best seen" in Figure 4 and inoludesia i tubular body 2 I" formed with an? outwardly zex v tending icircular'fiange 22lfformedfon the loweri; end thereof. The flange 22'has a marginaljidgeb- 24 formed on the upperr suriace thereof'tojgrip;

under'th'e rim' H. The.rim'gripping1'means20i' are slidably mountedon the portion l6 'bymeansf" of" a'frivet' 23 orfthe likewhichii's passeddown?" wardly through the s1otl8 an'dthe. center ofthehtubular body 21 "and is then upset: againstjthei lowersurfa'ce ofth'e flange 122. The'rim gripping; means will therebybeicarried by the sloti I 8 and? may be adjusted longitudinally relative to": the" point I1. As seen in Figureivl, when". it is desired to punctur the top of a container 10; thefiangeiv 22'"of therimjgrippin meansis pla'oedundersthei rim or bea'di H found on: all su'chco'ntainers and;

the? handle I 5' is rocked upwardly thus" urginglthe j point .I I downwardly SQ as; to: puncture the con tainerjtop: When it is"desire'd" to puncture ,af

large hole in the container" top;- th'e'rim gripping means is slidably moved" to the rearm'ost ofthe slot l8;' thu's'po'sitioninggthe pointi 'frel po t on larged opening 26 at the. rear or inner end therea of. The rim gripping means 21 includes a member 28 formed from the blank shown in Figure 8 and securing means 29. The member 28 is formed with a rectangular plate 30 having a centrally located hole 31 which is disposed on the top surface of the handle portion I'G. A downwardly bent portion or shank 32 extends from the foracoaeor arcuate cutout 52 in the forward edge thereof to provide two rim gripping feet 53. The plate 48 has a centrally located hole 54 therein to receive the reduced portion 55 of a lug 56 having an enlarged head 51 spaced upwardly therefrom. In assembling the rim gripping means 46 to the handle 15, the lug '56 is inserted into the slot from above, as shown in Figure 13, with the enlarged head 51 positioned above the handle 15. The reduced portion 55 is extended through the hole 54 and is then upset as at 58. 'Since the lug 56 is spaced forwardly of the upwardly bent lug 50 the rim gripping means 46 will be restrained from rotation.

7 In Figure I have illustrated the operation of n my device when in use as a jar lid remover. The

ward edge of the plate 30 through the slot 25. The bottom end 33 of the shank 32 is then bent forwardly to provide rim gripping means. The securing means 29 consist of a stud 34 carried in the hole 31 and extending down from the lower surface of the plate 30 and having an enlarged head 35 formed on the bottom end thereof. In assembling the rim gripping means 21 to the handle 15, the enlarged head 3'5 is inserted downwardly into the-opening 2'6 and the downwardly bent shank 32 into the slot 25. The rim gripping means 21 are then slid forwardly along the slot 25 and the inner or rear end of the slot i restricted by pinching the sides of the slot as at 36. Once the inner end of the slot is pinched off, the rim gripping means 21 are not removable from the slot 25.

In the modification shown in Figures 9, 10, 11, and 1-2, the rim gripping means is formed from a single stamped piece of metal, the'blank of which is shown in Figure 12.. A seen in Figure 1-1, the slot 31 has a transverse slot 38 formed at the inner end thereof. The rim gripping means 39 consists of a plate 40 having a bent down relatively narrow lug 4| formed integral with the rear edge of the plate 40, and extending through the slot 31. The end of the lug 41 has side extensions 42 and is reverted under the plate 40 and spaced downwardly therefrom. A shank 43 is formed on the forward edge of the plate -40'and extends through the slot 31. The bottom end 44 of the shank 43 is bent forwardly to provide rim gripping means. When it is desired to assemble the rim gripping means to the handle, the reverted portion having the side extensions 4-2 is inserted into the transverse slot 38. and the shank 43 is inserted into the slot 31. The rim gripping means 39 is then slid forwardly along the slot. 31 and the rear end of the slot 31 is pinched off as at 45"to prevent the removal of the rim gripping means 39 from the handle 15. Since the lug 4| and the shanks 43 are longitudinally spaced apart, the rim gripping means are restrained from rotation relative to the slot 31. In the modification shown in Figures 5-8, the longitudinal spacing of the stud 34 and the portion 32 similarly prevents rotation of the rim gripping 7 means relative to the handle.

Still another modification of my invention is disclosed in Figures '13 and 14, wherein still another form of rim gripping means 48 is shown.

In this construction; therim gripping means includes as't'amped metal member 41 having a plate e. messenger; e e i ise jar or bottle is shown with a lid or closure 6i sealing the top opening thereof, and the opener is positioned with the member I!) underlying a portion of the rim of the lid 6|. The gripping means 20 is positioned at the end of the slot l8 closest to the puncturing point 11 so as to overlie a substantial portion of the lid. When the handle 151s raised, the means 20 will provide a fulcrum and the moment arm between the fulcrum and the member 19 will be considerable so as to provide the maximum lift on the latter without multilation of the lid. It is therefore possible to remove lids that are suctionally engaged on jars without rendering them incapable of further sealing of the jar. While I have only illustrated the modification shown in Figure l in operation as a lid removing device, it is understood that the modifications shown in Figure 5 and in Figure 9 may be similarly applied.

The rear end of the handle I5 is formed with an opposed pair of lid prying blades 62 which are formed by cutting out the lengthwiseedges of the handle as at 63. These blades 62 have rounded edges Y64 and 65 so that when a blade 62 is inserted between the lid El and the upper portion of the receptacle, the blade 62 may be rocked upwardly by rocking of the handle and the rounded edges will not crack or chip the receptacle. ners such corners have a tendency to crack or break the glass container whereas with the rounded corners the container will not b cracked or chipped.

The abovedescription and the drawings represent various modifications of my invention which have proved themselves adapted to easydisclosed may be resorted to without departing from my invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A' can opener comprising a flat tapered blade formed with an elongated lengthwise slot and an enlarged openingat the inner end of saidslot, a can rim engaging member disposed on the lower side of said blade and includin a shank loosely engaging through said slot and-a plate disposed on the upper side of said blade, a headed securing member fixed tosaid plate and engaging loosely through said slot, said securing member being disposed in spaced relation with respectto saidfshank and cooperating with said shank in holding the latter and said rim engaging member against turning, the head of said securing member being initially inserted through said enlarged opening, and means restricting the inner end of said slot whereby said securing Where the blades have sharp cor- I member will be held against entering said enlarged opening.

2. A can opener comprising a flat tapered blade formed with an elongated lengthwise slot and an enlarged opening at the inner end of said slot; a can rim engaging member disposed on the lower side of said blade and including a shank loosely engaging through said slot and a plate disposed on the upper side of said blade, a headed securing member integral with said plate and. engaging loosely through said slot, said securin member being disposed in spaced relation with respect to said shank and cooperating with said shank in holding the latter and said rim engaging member against turning, the head of said securing member being initially inserted through said enlarged opening, and means restricting the inner end of said slot whereby said securing member will be held against entering said enlarged opening.

3. A can opener comprising a flat handle, a

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,41 ,858 Mann Apr. 4, 1922 2,080,090 Mumaugh May 11, 1937 2,503,125 Mull Apr. 4, 1950 

